A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Quickly Iwalk to school every daySome in their native countries travel by Jeepney, subway, bus, tuk-tuk, tramIn Moosenee some use a helicopter - oh my!

Quite different - yes we are - still all can agree that we:

try to correctly answer the teacher's questions

know thatquadruple means fourfold

make a straight queue when entering the school

try not to quarrel

know when to keep quiet

feel a bit of panic when we have a surprise quiz

know that winners never quit

like a glass of water to quench our thirst

quickly try to complete our homework

know how to print the letter Q

It is imperative that faculty in teacher education programs value diversity, assess cultural factors, manage the dynamics of differences, institutionalize cultural knowledge, and adapt to diversity in order to develop diverse teacher education faculty in culturally proficient programs (Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, & Terell, 1999). Building a diverse faculty in teacher education contributes to learning and directly impacts upon students and current faculty.Diverse faculty impact students' self-analysis regarding their individual perspectives about twenty-first century classrooms. Core values of students are also challenged because of diverse faculty communication styles and cultural beliefs. Diverse faculty ensures that teacher education programs sufficiently prepare education to work in ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse settings.